


A Proposed Solution

by Demytasse



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Bickering, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Long Term Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal, One Shot, Relationship Problems, Romantic Fluff, Shizaya - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 03:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15234402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demytasse/pseuds/Demytasse
Summary: Once again he found that his tone fell flat of the sarcasm he tried for. If he weren't so tired he would have been aggravated with himself, but instead he focused his grievance on how long it had been since he felt his toes, his limbs, or perhaps his left hand that he hadn’t registered had been plucked from his side.---Shizuo has a solution to long-standing relationship problems between him and Izaya, but both aren't thoroughly convinced it's the best route.





	A Proposed Solution

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this during a plane ride a month back. Decided to clean it up and post it today...due to the celebration of my 7 year marriage anniversary with my husband (as tacky as that sounds).
> 
> I have way too many marriage proposal ideas in my head. I'm a sucker for proposals and marriage plots. So yes, now I have two distinctly different Shizaya related ones proposal fics. *sighs* Truthfully, I like the idea of this one better so. xD

The accentuated patter of feet against damp asphalt gave the impression that it still rained. Although the weather had let up, the damage had already been done as Izaya's sweatshirt soaked straight to his skin. His escape from the apartment was impromptu, his coat had been forgotten, his outfit was more fit for relaxation, and his running shoes weren’t his own as he’d grabbed the pair that was too large.

He assumed he was a fair bit ahead of his pursuer by the heavier stamp of feet that still managed to be dampened by distance. The sound bounced from one building to the next in an auditory game of billiards. Every so often the step pattern would change up, rest, then pick up again after a series of curses. Izaya hypothesized that he had three bastardized versions of his name left before Shizuo found him propped up against a shockingly clean alley wall that he’d expended the rest of his energy to pick out from the disgusting.

    “I swear to fuckin’ hell, you fleabag! I thought we were done with this shit!”

A metal clang rang above his hoarse screams that drew closer. Another trashcan casualty took the brunt of Shizuo's frustration, but lucky for the streets the damage done that night was far less than past assaults.

To be honest, Izaya thought the two of them had ended their old ways as well. Fights now occurred within the bounds of their apartment and half the time between the sheets. That made the current kerfuffle an anomaly of their nightly routine.

An hour worth of dodging half-assed attacks pushed Izaya’s muscles to their limit. He wasn’t out-of-shape, it was that his athleticism was only less when compared to the bodyguard whose profession gave him more exercise than a job that took place before a computer would. The informant got less opportunities to naturally work out nowadays without the aid of his partner’s influence as proven with huffs for air that were also driven by anxiousness.

Izaya wasn't positive if he should be afraid of the moment Shizuo caught him or not. On one hand their prior discussion wasn't one that would lead to a murder, even if it had run amuck. The other hand argued that a steak knife stab, as weak as it was, probably warranted some kind of retribution.

    “It wasn't necessary to run out on me, louse!”

It _was_ necessary when his physical attack was considered. Izaya acted upon a flash of fearful inspiration to which he instantly regretted. No matter if he ran like a coward, what was done was done. He sighed and waited for the inevitable that he’d have to face. His legs may have tired, but his constitution was replenished. For now, at least.

    “Finally! You’re such a little shit! Ya know that?” He regained his breath quickly, “fuckin’ pest...” his expletives, though excessive, calmed him.

    “Congratulations, you found me.”

Exhaustion impacted his ability to come up with a sarcastic remark therefore he relied on his tone. Unfortunately it failed to convey his intent with dry delivery.

Rain dropped from Shizuo's plastered bangs to draw attention to his softened expression. Izaya realized that he must have messed up his response more than he thought. He sighed ruefully.

    “We won’t fuck it up…” Shizuo shook out his legs to get accustomed to his standstill.

    “Oh?”

    “Not if we had a reason to stay together.”

    “Ah, you're back to this again.”

Their conversation from earlier blended seamlessly into the present with a repeat of what Shizuo had already said. Izaya tensed just the same as he did before. His eyes slipped to the gash he had torn into the other’s forearm and unconsciously shook his head.

    “Don’t worry 'bout it. It didn't hurt.”

    “I know. I only used it as a distraction to get away, brute.”

    “You seemed worried is all…” he trailed off.

Izaya shrugged and sighed. It was all he could muster after his push off the wall took too much of his concentration.

    “Look…it's not like I don't worry either, but that's normal?”

The way Shizuo ended his thought did little to bolster the confidence of his statement. It begged Izaya to question if he should believe what followed or if his words were only thought correct, but wound up empty.

    “It’s probably why I should just fuckin’ ask you already.”

Shizuo looked ruffled more than panicked. His movements twitched as if he searched for the appropriate words, or perhaps something physical. The anxiousness transposed itself onto Izaya’s mindset.

Given the context, the hint of what would be asked was limited, but Izaya had it narrowed down to one specifically. Then again he had assumed it earlier which was how they got into their situation; in the alley, both dressed for a lounge instead of a midnight city stroll.

    “Do you think your question will resolve anything?”

The honesty bit at the humid air.

    “...I’m not really sure…”

    “Ah…”

    “Will you let me ask it anyway?” Shizuo hesitated an inch forward, but only continued once Izaya uncrossed his arms to open his body language.

    “Asking for permission to ask something. Who does that?”

Once again he found that his tone fell flat of the sarcasm he tried for. If he weren't so tired he would have been aggravated with himself, but instead he focused his grievance on how long it had been since he felt his toes, his limbs, or perhaps his left hand that he hadn’t registered had been plucked from his side.

His numb fingers were revived with a massage, but the one decorated with silver was Shizuo’s focus. Rather the finger that _had_ been decorated right up until it wasn't.

Izaya disappeared from his surroundings in narrowed awe of the how mesmerized Shizuo was of his ring, as if it were a new addition to his accessories other than what he normally wore.

The blond’s tipped smile wavered as he dropped a bare knee onto the jagged street without a thought, as if he’d practiced on carpeted ground. He unsurprisingly didn't flinch from littered glass fragments that dug into him.

    “You know... it's been ten years.”

    “Wait, Shizuo... This isn’t a solution.”

    “No. Let me finish, Izaya.”

He was reluctant to let his hand be snatched up again, but the comfort that spilled into his palm made it hard to resist. Although Izaya's compromise ended with their held hands as he focused on the empty street to their side rather than the determined gaze that burned for attention.

    “I've stuck through all of your shit for ten years…”

Izaya dropped his jaw to interject, but was cut off.

    “Yeah, yeah, you’ve done the same for me too, you brat.”

    “This is fun. I’m getting to rest my vocal chords for a change,” he smirked through his pained nerves.

    “This is the shit I'm talkin’ about.” Shizuo's eyes rolled. “I still love you.”

The overabundant heat Shizuo normally held was passed onto the metal ring that was already delivered to Izaya's ring finger.

    “You’re using my own ring...”

    “Orihara Izaya…”

    “...to pop the quest--” A hand clamped over his mouth.

    “Izaya will you just let me propose!?”

He was unable to verbally respond, but he still managed to communicate with a glimmer to his eyes.

Shizuo sighed. He flicked water from his damp hair as he slicked it back. His heavy hand dropped to his side.

It was out in the open what would come next, but Izaya baited his breath as the moment extended with the both of them out of each other’s focus, with a bashful avoidance of the other’s expression.

    “Will you marry me?”

The words were dampened by an unanticipated rush of rain. Shizuo understood that he hadn't been outspoken when they centered their gaze. With a nod Izaya affirmed that he heard, but his lost expression left them both uneasy.

Izaya took his hand back while he tossed consideration around in his head. With his hand extended before him he twisted and turned his head to observe how foreign the familiar band looked on the improper knuckle. He flipped attention to his palm and thumbed the loose silver around his bony finger.

    “You know, this ring doesn't even fit, Shizu-chan...”

The two were sheltered from the rain, but it still managed to spread a chill throughout their bodies, or at least Izaya's response chilled Shizuo just as much as the heartbreak froze Izaya.

    “That’s your answer…”

A nimble work of his finger tips moved the ring over obstacles to return to the appropriate finger in a habit he had perfected with time. Dual stares watched as the ring revolved back through his fingers, both unable to predict the land of the roulette.

    “It's obvious that your proposal wasn't planned, Shizu-chan.”

    “So what?”

    “Hmm…” Izaya delayed.

    “SO WHAT, IZAYA!?” Shizuo gestured a wild attack of the air. His hand landed conveniently into the prepared trap of Izaya's grasp.

    “But I suppose this isn't either.”

It was unknown how his second ring was removed, but it wound up on Shizuo's pointer finger to match Izaya's hand all the same.

    “...hu?”

Shizuo’s face fell blank as Izaya's became flustered.

    “That’s my answer, idiot!”

    “Izaya, don't fuck with me! How is you giving me your ring an answer?!”

    “Excuse me, but _you_ gave me _my_ ring to propose! How do you not get something so simple?”

    “Just be straight forward for once! Not everything has to be difficult!!”

Shizuo stomped back to his feet with his fist clenched. He showed off his new ring by thrusting the flat side of his hand just short of Izaya's face.

    “Seriously,” Izaya scoffed, “I have _no_ idea how this marriage is going to work out.”

    “It’s only ‘cause you’re so focused on aggravating me that you won't even answer my proposal! TEN YEARS, IZAYA, TEN! IT SHOULD BE EASY!”

As one raged, the other stayed calm.

    “Heiwajima Izaya...that will take getting used to.”

    “Hah? What are you sayin’ now, flea--”

Realization hit Shizuo and paused his rampage and left his mouth agape.

    “I wonder if I’ll lose business due to people not recognizing my name.”

A full frontal attack knocked Izaya back a hitch, but a wrap of limbs kept him balanced. At the nook of his neck he felt the warmth of Shizuo's breath.

    “Or you could take my name! Orihara Shizuo. That has a nice ring to it, yeah?”

Shizuo growled in play, “I don't fuckin’ care about names! Pick whatever you want.”

    “You sure about that?”

    “Shut up before I change my mind!”

Izaya reassured the sincerity of his answer by completing their hold with a loose hook of his arms across the small of Shizuo's back. They took a moment to bring down their overworked pulses by reaching meditation from the other’s calming breath. A blanket of humidity wrapped them up and caused Izaya to tremor as the heat of their chase diminished. Shizuo pulled back and assessed his partner’s condition. Izaya’s whole body was seized up and uncomfortable while drowned by the weather’s deed.

With a crouch, Shizuo scooped a more than willing Izaya into his arms and swiftly exited the alley.

As they made their way through the empty streets, Izaya distanced his presence with his hood that he had drawn to cover his eyes. He sulked into Shizuo’s arms and attempted to speak up several times over the extent of their walk home. Izaya recognized the lay of their apartment building’s surroundings from a peek around the obstructing fabric. As the distance from their destination shortened, his time to speak his mind candidly lessened and he knew he wouldn’t have the will once they crossed their threshold.

    “You know, we still have issues to work though…”

A jolt brought Shizuo back from the depth of his own thoughts.

    “I know.”

    “Marriage could accentuate the problems. In fact, when people get married as a solution for their patchy relationship it often ends in divorce. I can look up the statistics if you’re curious.”

    “Not getting married could too, Izaya,” Shizuo’s words were blunt and immediate as they had already rested on his tongue while Izaya ran through his hesitancy.

    Izaya hummed, “How insightful. I would prod you for more details of your defense, but oddly enough I’m too exhausted to even listen."

Shizuo nodded.

    “Count yourself lucky. You got off easy this time, my fiancé.”

A grin pulled through for Shizuo, “I like the sound of that. Say it again.”

    “ _You_ got off _easy this time?_ I’d rather that not be something I repeat often, it would mean that I was left high and dry in the heat of sex, right?”

    “I thought you were tired,” he grumbled.

    “I’m never too tired to poke fun at my fiancé~.”

A boyish smile sat just beyond the edge of Izaya’s hood in response to the rolled eyes he received, but his partner’s joy read easily as he picked up a chipper step. Cheeky and confident, he knew Shizuo appreciated the clever way he had humoured the innocent request.

Perhaps the end cap to their night was all the proof Izaya needed to believe in the permanence of their future marriage and not a transitional phase that led to a feared separation. If anything, the lay of his old ring against his skin while they later shared space in bed helped calm him into slumber. As it was, their engagement was _something new,_  their relationship was _something old_ , and Shizuo’s ring was _something borrowed;_  it all met the requirements needed for the old romantic superstition to aid in a prosperous marriage. Regardless of any luck he could rely on, Izaya finally felt ready to properly support the health of his and Shizuo's relationship on his own and together with his husband to be.

**Author's Note:**

> I had written another oneshot that unintentionally works well with this one, so I'll post it in a collection in the near future. It might be its own thing though. *shrug*
> 
> As always, thank you for the read! Comments and constructive feedback is always welcome! ^^


End file.
